Bonding
by Shade Salogel
Summary: AU. Same universe as Rite of Passage. On his birthday morning, fifteen-year-old Rick spends time with his best friend's father.


Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize do not belong to the authors. Some of the ideas were inspired by Xanthia Morgan's wonderful fic, Brother of My Soul.

Archiving: Please ask first!

A/N: This story is authored by Shade—my coauthor Rina and I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed—your reviews encourage us to edit faster! Feedback is greatly appreciated. We've decided to start posting chapters twice a week—on Tuesday and Friday evenings. The story is done, and most of the rest of the chapters are edited. Enjoy!

This is dedicated to my friend Rina, sister of my heart. I hope you like it! My first song-fic ever, set to the song, "You'll be in My Heart."

Suleimon stared down at the tangled mass of limbs that Ardeth and Rick were in, wondering how they had managed that. Kneeling next to the bed, he rested his hand on Rick's forehead, waking the boy. "Come with me, Rick, quietly. Let Ardeth sleep," he said, voice low. After a moment, the boy obeyed, somehow untangling his body from Ardeth's without waking the younger boy up.

"What's going on, Your Majesty?" Rick asked, as Suleimon led him out of the palace. The king didn't answer, and Rick fell silent, looking around as they walked.

It was not quite dawn yet, and a hushed stillness lay over Kiriyah Gan. Light was creeping over the mountains, brushing the tops of the trees. Soft noises indicated that the many animals that sought safety from the desert's harshness were waking up, and the sweet scents of blossoming flowers drifted in the slight mist.

They followed a path through the heavy undergrowth, climbing up past a deep gorge with a river roaring through it. The higher they climbed, the quieter the jungle around them grew. They crested the top of the trail, on top of the mountain overlooking the entire city, just as the sun burst over the mountains, illuminating the entire valley. Suleimon rested a hand on Rick's shoulder and swept his free arm to indicate the hidden city of the Med-jai.

"I have brought you up here, Rick, because it is your birthday. Today you turn fifteen, an important age to a Med-jai. All Med-jai choose what path they will take on their fifteenth birthday—if they will join the Warriors, the Healers, the History-Keepers, or some other path. You may choose whatever path you desire, but you must be ready to announce your decision and defend it from any objectors at the feast tonight.

"Now, another matter. If you have no objections, I am adopting you as my son. You will be a part of the royal family, brother to Ardeth, and heir to the throne after him." Suleimon raised his hand, not letting Rick speak yet.

"This is my promise to you—I will protect you to the best of my ability. I will be there for you when you need me. There will be a bond between us that cannot be broken. You will be in my heart, from this day forward, now and forevermore. You have a great destiny waiting for you that you must be strong for, but I will be there for you. I would be honored to be your father.

"You do not have to answer me just yet, Rick. This is an important decision, since the royal family has many responsibilities. But know that whatever you decide, I already love you as though you were the son of my body just as Ardeth is."

Suleimon took a step back, leaving Rick to look over the valley. The sunlight reached the top of the mountain, its warm fingers caressing Rick's face. A hawk's wild scream echoed through the valley, and both looked up to see Horus and Altaria circling high overhead, playing in the air currents.

"I will be in the palace, Rick. Take your time up here." Suleimon turned to go. He stopped when he heard Rick move behind him. The king barely managed to turn before he had an armful of gangly boy clinging to him.

"No, don't go! I know what I want. I want to be your son. You are already my father in most ways, and even though I won't ever forget my birth parents, I think they would want this—want me to be happy."

With a slightly choked laugh, Suleimon hugged the boy tight to his chest. "Come, my son. Let us go see if Ardeth is up and give him the news."


End file.
